The Challenges of Dogs
by Mynthia Fae
Summary: What happens when Harry gets upset? His magic goes astray, and left undirected is unpredictable. Draco is left a changed boy...dog...er. How will they cope? Will a cure be found or has harry found himself with a new pet? response to a Challenge by acjub
1. Ch1: The Waggling Posterior

**The Challenges of Dogs**

_A/N: This is a response to a challenge written by Acjub. I absolutely could not resist writing a response. This is an edited version as I have decided I was not satisfied with the original. Nothing vital to the story has changed, I just felt a few things needed fixing._

_As always, if you recognize it, it does not belong to me._

Chapter 1: The Waggling Posterior.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Harry said. "I'm not in the mood to play games with you today."

"Aw, is poor ickle Pot Head tired?"

Tired did not even begin to describe how Harry was feeling. It had been the Quidditch of the century, lasting 12 hours in a rainstorm unlike any seen in just as long. Drenched from head to toe, Harry was not only cold but exhausted. Malfoy was the last person he wanted to see at that particular point in time.

"Can't even handle a little game of Quidditch! Guess he isn't a hero after all, since he can't even overcome a children's game!"

"A LITTLE GAME?" Harry yelled. He had been on his way to the Gryffindor common room, taking one of the secret passages in an effort to outwit the Slytherin. It was a failed attempt seeing as how the blond boy was standing right behind him. "Twelve hours on a broom is not my idea of fun!"

"That's not what Wood was saying."

Harry turned and stormed up the staircase he knew led straight to the portrait of the Fat Lady. He was done trying to outmaneuver the git following behind him, and just wanted the comforts of his common room.

"In fact, he was telling me that you liked to ride-"

Harry stopped in his tracks, his face was turning bright red. "Malfoy, you dog! Finish that sentence and I'll-" He had turned and drawn his wand to point it at the obnoxious boy, but did not see him. "Lumos," Harry said illuminating the dimly lit passage. Draco was lying on the stairs.

"Aw, ickle little Malfoy is tired." But Draco did not move. "Oh boy, I've done it now. _Wingardium Leviosa._ Madam Pomfrey will know what to do." And Harry levitated Draco behind him all way up to the hospital wing.

"What have you been up to now Mr. Potter?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she noticed the presence of one of her more frequent visitors entering the wing. "Doesn't appear you have been playing with Polyjuice potion again. No broken bones that I can see. Oh!" She startled seeing Malfoy floating behind him in the hallway. "Bring him in!"

They settled Malfoy on a bed in the corner and pulled the draperies around. "Dueling again between classes, are we, Mr. Potter?"

"I didn't even have my wand out, Madam." Harry was only remotely worried about the other student.

"Harry. We all know your magic works in mysterious ways." She smiled knowingly. "Did he provoke you in any way?" She continued to examine the boy.

"He-" Harry paused and nodded, not wanting to go into detail.

"Well mysterious ways seem to stay that way for a while. We will let him sleep for now. I suggest sleep for you as well, Mr. Potter." Harry looked down at Malfoy before turning to leave the hospital wing.

As he neared the door there was a loud crash and a scream from the medi-witch. Harry ran back, pulling the curtain back to reveal Draco crouched on the bed growling fiercely at the woman who held a potion in one hand and a spoon in the other.

"Malfoy! What on earth are you doing?" Harry hollered. His wand was drawn aimed at the blond boy ready for… well he didn't even know what he was going to do with it.

The 17 year old boy, turned his head towards the sound and the growling ceased. Tilting his head to one side he just looked at Harry. With a yip, Draco hopped off the bed, landing on his hands and feet and scurried over to him.

Harry's mouth hung open and Malfoy, his nemesis and total git rubbed his head against his knee. "What the bloody hell are you doing!" He stepped back, only to be pursued.

"Mr. Potter. Perhaps you should come with me."

Madame Pomfrey conjured a patronus and sent it down to McGonagall and Dumbledore, and took Harry into her private office. Sooner than he had expected, headmaster and transfiguration teacher arrived and stopped in their tracks as Malfoy jumped into Harry's lap and began nuzzling his hand. Professor McGonagall's normally strict composure faded as he mouth hung open. Meanwhile, Harry was attempting to push the brute from his lap, though the attempt was in vain and he eventually had to concede to let Draco remain where he was.

"Now, Mr. Potter. Could you tell us exactly what happened?

Some time later, Harry sat under the stare of his professor. "I see," McGonagall said. "It sounds like Transfiguration gone astray. Mr. Potter-"

"I swear, Professor, I didn't even have my wand out." Harry cut her off.

"I think it best that we keep the young Malfoy here, under your care Madame Pomfrey." Dumbledore said. But even as he said that, the young man began growling, and went to bite the woman as she drew near. Once everyone had backed off, he went back to his attempts to get Harry to scratch his head. "As I was saying, he should stay in the care of Mr. Potter, until we have found a cure."

Harry was left in total shock for the second time that day. "Professor! You can't be serious!" He rose pushing the Draco-dog off onto the floor with a loud thud where he was content to chew his own shoe. "I can't have THAT following me around."

The teachers eyed one another and the two boys. McGonagall pierced her lips until they were nothing more than a thin line. "Mr. Potter, you are excused for the rest of the week from classes. The Room of Requirement would be a good place for the two of you to stay until we get this sorted out."

And that made three times. Alone, with Malfoy? There was no way, but Dumbledore seemed content and was already escorting McGonagall from the room discussing possible cures, and Madame Pomfrey had brought out some books to start browsing.

He looked down at the odd new pet he seemed to have acquired. Nothing looked out of place on the boy, unless one was to count the look of admiration, the tongue hanging from the left side of his mouth, the shoe which had been chewed on, and the fact his posterior was waggling from side to side.

"This is going to be an even longer day that I had thought, isn't it, Malfoy?" He said down to the boy looking up at him. "Ron would get a kick out of this." A grin worthy of his new Slytherin companion slid into place across his face as he left the hospital wing, Malfoy in tow.


	2. Ch2: All Dogs Need Chew Toys

A/N: I was going to put chapter 2 off for a while and work on catching some of the other plot bunnies on paper, but found the evil dark maniacal plot bunny who had brought this story on was chasing away all the rest, so I am content to play fetch with Draco while this bunny gets satisfied. Edited this chapter a bit too before I wanted to start on Chapter 3.

Chapter 2: All Dogs Need Chew Toys

Harry was sure that no more humorous sight had ever been seen in Hogwarts as he stood outside the Gryffindor common room with his new found shadow at his feet chewing on his own shoes. In an attempt to keep a straight face, he chose to ignore the boy.

"Pass-" The fat lady yawned and opened her eyes. "My goodness! What sort of beast is that?" she pointed her stubby finger at the boy who was now growling at her.

"That's just Malfoy. _Erumpent._" He said waiting for her to open up.

"_The_ Draco Malfoy?" She said shocked.

"Of course, what other Malfoy is there? Never mind. He is with me, can we go in now?" Harry crossed his arms across his chest and began tapping his foot. All ready this had turned into more of a hassle than he needed. He just wanted to wake Hermione and Ron.

"Of course, dear." The portrait opened outward to reveal the comfy confines of the Gryffindor common room.

"Um, you can't come up here." Harry said to Malfoy hoping his point got across. He started going up the stairs but was tailed by the boy anyway.

"No!" Harry hissed. Draco only tilted his head to the side. Harry had a sudden idea which he tested. "Malfoy, sit!" But the Draco-dog only blinked.

"Oh great, not only is my worst enemy following me around like a lost puppy, he isn't very bright." He chuckled as another idea came to him. "Oh how Mr. Malfoy would be furious to see Draco roll over for treats."

Just then there was a loud flop as Draco fell over onto his side and rolled onto his back.

"Of course! Draco, sit!" He whispered loudly, and the dog-boy did so with another loud thud. "Good. Draco, stay!" he said unsure that he would listen. But sure enough, Draco sat at the bottom of the stairs while Harry went and roused Ron.

"You're never going to believe this."

Ron blinked and rubbed his eyes. "What is it, mate?"

"Trust me, lets go!" Harry conjured up his Patronus to go into the girls dormitory to wake up Hermione while he drug Ron out of bed.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow? I'm not in the mood to chase any more spiders." Ron yawned and laid back down.

"Spiders?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Ron! You have to come with me–"

Just then barking echoed up the stairs followed by a scream.

"Is that…" Ron asked suddenly wide awake.

"I will explain in a minute, if Malfoy doesn't kill Hermione that is." And the two tore down the stairs and nearly tripped over the Slytherin crouched at the bottom.

"Draco, no!" Harry said sternly, hoping it would be enough. The barking subsided as he came to Harry and nuzzled his knees.

"I'm sorry, did you say Draco?" Hermione asked pulling her robe tighter around her.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. "Malfoy has lost his marbles!"

There was motion upstairs as the rest of his house was waking at the commotion from the common room. Harry eyed the stairs warily then turned to his friends who were still in shock over Malfoy's actions.

"Get dressed you two and meet me in the Room of Requirement. We don't need Neville stumbling down here and getting bit by Malfoy." Harry said then turned to Malfoy. "Um, Draco, come!" He made his way back out of the portrait and to the room few knew about.

_I need a room that my friends can find where I can stay until Draco Malfoy is cured,_ Harry thought passing the secret room three times.

Inside the room was a living quarters much like a flat. A small bathroom and kitchen as well as another room that served as bedroom and entertaining area complete with a dog bed suitable for a great dane.

Draco immediately began sniffing around the furniture. Harry couldn't help but chuckle as he had sniffed out an emerald ball and brought it to Harry. "Always a Slytherin at heart," Harry sneered tossing the ball aside and watching Malfoy slide across the floor after it.

"Harry, what did you do to him?"

Harry explained what had happened in the secret passage and Hermione was speechless.

"Pure magic! Wandless and without purpose! It took your first thought and made it a reality!"

"Ok, so how do we reverse it then? Draco! Stop chewing on that!" Harry was momentarily distracted as he removed the Slytherins shoes and placed them on a shelf out of reach. Ron raised an eyebrow. "What? I don't want to listen to him vomit all night."

"Good point, mate."

"The only way I can think of is another jolt of pure magic, but I would need to talk this over with Professor McGonagall as she surely would know more about this than I would." She stopped and pondered a moment before turning quickly and making her way out of the room.

Harry and Ron watched her leave as did Draco who had tilted his head again.

"So, does he really think he is a dog?" Ron asked.

"Sure looks that way."

"And he likes you?" Ron raises an eyebrow.

"Certainly looks that way. He attacked Madame Pomfrey and wouldn't stop growling at McGonagall and Dumbledore. You heard him with Hermione even."

"All this makes my head hurt." Ron shook his head. "I'm starving, Harry. Lets go get something to eat."

"I probably shouldn't leave him alone, Ron. He could get into a lot of mischief. I remember when Dudley got a dog a few–"

Ron looked at him pointedly. "He seems to listen to you Harry. Just tell him to sit tight and lets go."

Harry thought on it, but Ron was already leaving. "Draco, stay," he commanded and the Draco-dog put his chin on his hands. "Good enough. Ron wait up." He took off after Ron, pulling the door closed behind him, as Draco began to whimper. _It's only for breakfast,_ Harry thought to himself.

Sitting at the table across from Ron, Harry was eating his way through a large stack of pancakes while discussing Quidditch with some of the other Gryffindor students.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Hermione shrieked upon seeing him. "You march back up there right this minute!"

Just then everyone in the Great Hall went silent.

"Is that Draco?" One of the Slytherins gasped as he prowled in on all fours.

As everyone turned to look at him, Draco crouched lower and lower until he was almost crawling. Letting lose a small whimper he hurried over to Harry and started licking his hand.

"Looks like Harry got himself a Slytherin for a pet!" Seamus called out while all the students at the Slytherin stood with their mouths gaping open.

"I didn't know we could make pets of the Slytherins. I want one!" Another Gryffindor cried out.

"Draco Malfoy, dog of dogs and lowest of the low! Tongue hanging out, tail swinging to and fro."

"Knock it off!" Harry was getting pretty upset now. He had always wanted to get back at Malfoy for all that he had put up with from him, but total humiliation was not what he had had in mind. "Draco, come." He said softly.

"And even faithful to his master. Look how well he heals." Seamus laughter was broken off as he came face to face with Harry's wand.

"I said to stop it. Or do you want to become just like him." Draco growled menacingly from behind Harry, but silenced as Harry walked away with Draco one step behind him all the way up to the Room of Requirement.

"A doggy door?" Harry was surprised the room had accommodated the mindless wonders escape. "There I go sounding like everyone else."

He looked down at other student sitting on the floor next to him with his tongue lolled out of his mouth while he panted slightly.

"What do you say, Draco? A truce until we get you back to your normal cantankerous self full of insults of Mudbloods and Gryffindor scum?"

Draco barked and jumped up on him knocking Harry to the floor where he licked his face repeatedly. "Let's not get mushy now! That is disgusting!"

Harry took off his shoes and climbed into bed, realizing that he had not slept at all the previous night. Soon he was drifting off to sleep.

It was late in the afternoon when he awoke again. Leaning over the edge of his bed, he groggily felt around for his shoes. Finding one he pulled it on, and his foot went all the way through it. "MALFOY!" he hollered whipping he feet onto the floor, which was wet.

"He did not pee on the floor. There is no way that he… he did… fantastic." Harry grumbled to himself. He thought about needing that mess cleaned up and a new pair of shoes and it was done. Grabbing the shoes before Malfoy could get a hold of them he began pacing the room.

Harry resigned himself to a boring game of fetch, while he hoped that his professors were having some luck with finding a way to cure the Slytherin. "I almost feel sorry for the poor git. He is going to have one hell of a stomach ache."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**A/N: **I will be working to finish this story up pretty soon as other plot bunnies have begin to invade and are slowly pushing this one out, though I do want to get this one done.

**Cad2u:** Thank you for your review and your peaked interest. Draco is all dog brain in there for the time being, but who's to say what he will remember when this is all over?

**bluedreamcatcher: **I am glad that you enjoyed the first chapter, and I hope not to disappoint you in the end.


	3. Ch3: Reconciliation

Chapter 3: Reconciliation

The days were long and incredibly dull as far as Harry was concerned. Hermione had graciously been bringing him her notes from the lessons so he could copy them as well as all the homework he was missing, which was still piled on a small coffee table, untouched, much to her chagrin.

"Harry, you are going to fall behind." It was not the first time that Hermione had tried to prompt him into his studies. Christmas was looming closer, and his mind had not strayed once from the burden he had.

"What about Malfoy? Won't his parents be upset that he isn't going home for the holidays?" he asked, tactfully ignoring the schoolwork.

Ron shrugged and Hermione looped hopeless. "It's not like we can send him home like this," she said breaking the silence.

Ron glanced over to the corner where the blond boy lay snoozing in his doggy bed. "Maybe Dumbledore will watch him while your away, Harry."

Draco had stopped growling at Hermione and Ron when they came to visit after being sternly reprimanded by Harry telling him no, though he thought he could still see the gleam of hatred when the Slytherin looked at Hermione. Some things will never change, he had muttered to himself.

"He likes Dumbledore even less than he likes Hermione." Harry sighed. "I don't think I will be coming to the Burrow this year, Ron."

"No reason you should suffer because the git has lost his wits!" Ron said pounding a fist unconsciously on the table causing Hermione to start. "Sorry, 'Mione."

"I can't leave him here. What if he gets out again?"

Again Ron shrugged. "Let him. After all he has done to Hermione, he deserves a bit of what's coming to him."

"Ronald!" Hermione shouted. "Calling me a Mudblood is nothing compared to the total humiliation he suffered in the Great Hall. His _whole_ house saw him! I daresay enough damage has been done." She paused, glaring at Ron. "I don't think I would wish this on anyone."

Ron raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Even the amazing bouncing ferret?"

Hermione cracked a smile. "Yes, even the amazing bouncing ferret." The trio broke into laughter that woke Draco from his sleep. The boy eyed them carefully before returning his head to his hands and closing his eyes after glaring at the girl.

"Well, Mum and Dad will be disappointed that your not coming, and why I won't tell then the reason for not being there for the first time in seven years. Daresay Fred and George would never let this go if they knew."

"Probably right." Hermione said turning to give Harry a hug. Malfoy twitched in his bed but did not move. "See you after the holiday."

"Merry Christmas." He called after the two as the left. One they were gone, Malfoy bound from his sleeping place and put his chin on Harry's knee. "Guess it's just you and me."

Harry sat well into the night in the chair thinking over what had happened. It had been almost a week ago that Malfoy had "lost his wits" as Ron had been saying, and he had not heard one word from either Dumbledore or McGonagall about any kind of a cure. It was beginning to look as though he would be stuck with his addled companion indefinitely.

"Not that you're actually that bad." Harry murmered giving in and scratching Draco's head. "I mean when you aren't slinging insults left and right." The boy had let his tongue fall from his mouth being content with his attention.

"Bit obnoxious that you keep chewing my shoes to bits, though." The clock on the wall chimed eleven, and Harry shrugged into his sleep wear and lay down on the bed. Draco sprawled on the floor near Harry's feet and both snored away contentedly.

The days passed quickly enough, much to Harry's surprise, and Christmas morning broke early as Draco barked happily at the pile of presents that now littered the bed. Most were addressed to Harry, though there was one with a tag scrawled in Hermione's neat handwriting addressed Malfoy.

Harry had gotten the usual gifts from the Weasley's: a sweater made by Mrs. Weasleys, merchandise from Fred and Georges shop, and sweets. Hermione had sent him a new pair of trainers to replace the ones Malfoy had destroyed, as well as the package to Malfoy. Harry assumed there were trainers in Draco's parcel as well.

The excitement of Christmas disappeared quickly and was replaced with loneliness as Harry settled in to begin his neglected schoolwork. But even that was interrupted regularly by Draco nudging him for another game of fetch.

"Blast it all, Draco!" Harry roared after having spilt his bottle of ink. "I do believe that you were less of a nuisance as a prat than you are as a bloody dog. Unlike you, I need to continue studying in order to move onto bigger better things that playing a bloody game of fetch with a mindless-"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence, Potter."

Harry jerked around to come face to face with Draco Malfoy, standing tall as ever and glaring at him. "Draco?"

"That's Malfoy to you, Pot Head." The blond boy turned and stalked from the room, the door banging loudly behind him, leaving a dazed Harry in his wake.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Great Hall was empty but for a single student at the Slytherin table as Harry walked through the doors. He didn't want to make this awkward, and had resolved not to speak. He set the package down in front of Malfoy, who looked as though he was going to be sick (No surprise, Harry thought to himself.).

"What's this rubbish?"

Harry turned back to Malfoy, unsure what to say. "Well, it's not going to kill you, if that's what you think," he spat, unsure where the anger had come from. Hadn't it only been earlier that week he had come to terms with his hatred of the Slytherin boy?

He watched as Malfoy tore the paper from the package and pulled out a pair of black trainers. A blond eyebrow raised as he looked at them.

Not being able to help a bit of a chuckle, Harry said, "You chewed up your shoes pretty bad."

"I what?" Malfoy looked confused, and Harry half expected him to cock his head to the side and was almost disappointed when nothing happened.

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Nothing," Harry said backing down from the glare that he was receiving. It was as though Draco was upset that Potter knew something he didn't. "Happy Christmas." He strode away thinking over the events of the last few weeks.

"Magic certainly does work in mysterious ways." He muttered under his breath as he went to tell his professors they no longer needed to find a cure.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I wanted to thank everyone who has been reading this story. There will be one more chapter to round things up, and it will be a very short chapter.


	4. Epilogue

Epilogue

Bloody hell! It took him long enough to fix this whole mess! I should have torn him apart when I had the chance. It's not anyone would have blamed the 'witless wonder' if I had.

_And why was I so compelled to… find myself as an object of his attention? And licking his face?! Disgusting! It was as if I had no control whatsoever, though I do believe I chewed his shoes and left him a wonderful present next to them. Yes, that was my doing. _

_And listening to that Mudblood defending me! I do not want, nor do I need, her pity. And Weasle, always content to find joy in my pain! Bah!_

Malfoy sat back on the green couch, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest as he stared angrily into the fireplace, as though the soft flames were to blame for the events of the past few weeks.

And what am I going to do after the holiday? I will be the laughing stock of the entire school after the fool I made of myself in the Great Hall. I have shamed myself, my name, and my house.

Perhaps mother will be more willing to send me away to a different school. One where news of this tragedy had not yet reached them. Yes, that will do nicely.

The sound of the Slytherin common room door sliding open caught his attention. A timid third year entered. "Evening, Malfoy. How was your Christmas?" There was no laughter in her voice as she asked, though she did seem afraid of him. Sure she would laugh at him, he said nothing and just watched her. Shrugging the girl made her way up to the girls dormitory.

_No laughter at my expense? No snide remarks about what I dog I am? Surely everyone must have seen? Dumbledore?_ His thoughts came to a screeching halt. _A man of many virtues he is, though obviously the golden trio still has some memory of what happened._

_Perhaps they are not so bad. Perhaps._

_No, nothing has changed. Nothing._

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

A/N: Ok, well I'm finished now, with this plot bunny that has been tormenting me for weeks now. I am not thoroughly satisfied with the ending, but have decided to give it a rest as I haven't been able to whip a bit more out of this plot bunny. Is it weird that I have the sudden want to play fetch with the Slytherin now?

Thank you to all my readers, and to everyone who has left a review. I do so hope you enjoyed the tale, though it turned out differently than I had expected.

Oh, and I never worked this into the story as it slipped my mind, but someone had wondered why Malfoy only responded to his first name. While intelligent creatures, Dogs need simple comands and instructions. While some people give them long names, Dogs tend to hang on whatever the first word they hear is. In the familiarity of his own home, no doubt, his parents do not call him Malfoy. Draco is something that he has always heard from the people closest to him. Malfoy would be something he would connect to a bad influence (you know how parents tend to us a full name when upset with you?). Wanted to clear that up while I had the chance.


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